Packing-house equipment



' May 25, 19 55. 1,585,950

I F. s. VARNEY I PACKING HOUSE EQUIPMENT Filed Nov. '7, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 If! V f I lio? Patented May 25, 1926 UNITED STTES PATENTOFFIC.

FRANK S. VARNEY, F EASTPORT, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO BOOTH FISHERIES COMPANY,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPOBATZON OF DELAWARE.

PACKING-,HOUSE EQUIPMENT.

Application filed November 7, 1924. Serial" No. 748.443.

The present invention is related to packing-room or space 11.Preferably, the

ing house equipment, and more particularly has to do with such equipmentas employed in the packing of fish and s1m1lar products.

Its main and primary object is to provide a compact arrangement of thepacking tables whereby to promote economy in the floor area for theiraccommodation, and enable their grouping with respect to each other insuch manner as to permit the free work ing of a maximum force ofoperatives in a minimum amount of space.

A. further object is to provide equipment of the character specified theelements of which are so organized and related as to facilitate accessby the operatives to the product to be packed, as well as to thecontainers for receiving the product. The packing operation thus may beexpedited, the operatives being relieved of trips to remote points forprocuring additional supplies of the product and the containers in whichto pack the same. a

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe nature of the improvements is better understood, the inventionconsisting substantially in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is delineated herein, but thisis to be con si-dered from the illustrative standpoint, and not asimposing restriction or limitation upon the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan View illustrating in schematic arrangement the hereindescribed invention -Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of two of the units in their associatedrelation with the feed chute for delivery of the containers forreceiving the product to be packed;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view, partially in section, of the constructionillustrated in Fig. 3.

Referring nowin detail toth-e accompany-' ing drawings, and particularlyto Fig. 1,

the herein described equipment includes a plurality of units 10 whichare aligned with each other across one dimension of a packaligned units10 are arranged in tiers spaced apart to provide .a trucking aisle 12,whereby to permit trucks to pass between the tiers for supplying theunits with the material to be pack-ed, and likewise removing the filledcontainers therefrom, as well as the refuse discarded in connection withthe packing operations. A convenient arrange ment of this sortcontemplates the positioning of the tiers with the units back to back.

Each of the units'lO comprises a table, as clearly illustrated in Figs.2, 3 and 4, of appropriate construction, the tables in the tiers beingspace-d apart so that an operative may stand at each .side of the table,and two or more operatives be received by the space between a pair oftables. These tables .are also arranged in transverse relation to thelength of the tier, and extending between adjacent tables is asupporting shelf 13, said shelf serving to join the tables throughoutthe tier.

Supported by each shelf 18 is a hopper 14, which is substantiallyrectangular in form and closed at its sides and ends, with the exceptionof the lower portion of the front side, or that side which faces thespace between the contiguous tables 10. At that part of the front sidethe hopper has a discharge openingl5. This hopper is designed to receiveempty cans or similar containers in which the product is tobe packed,and being positioned opposite to the working space between a pair of thetables 10, the cans or containers which pass through the dischargeopening 15 are immediately available for convcnient access by theoperatives occupying that space. The front face of the hopper 14: is setback from the extreme front edge of the supporting shelf 13, so that aplatform is provided on to which the cans or containers may discharge asthey pass out of the opening 15. To prevent the containers passing-oversuch edge, and dropping to the floor, a guard flange 16 surrounds thefront edge of the shelf 13, and likewise extends forwardly at the edgesof the tables 10 bordering the working space. These forwardly extendingportions of the flange 16 also prevent; the product, as the same isdeposited on the tables, being displaced from the tables.

That the hoppers 1 1- may be supplied with containers from time to timeeach of the same is provided with an upwardly extending feed chute 17.Thesechutcs are connected with suitable openings in the floor above thefloor on which the tables are arranged, as designated by the numeral 18,or this floor may be a loading platform.

Each of the chutes preferab'l'yis formed of corner supportingposts 1 9bet-wcen which are located forannnous walls 20. The walls 20 may be ofopen mesh wire fabr c or any other suitablematerial. In the descent ofthe"conta1ners through the chutes 17 "they-pass into the'ht'ippers 1 1,and readily" may be d awn through the openings of these lio pper s, ort'thefhoppers 15 be hlled the containers w ll pass out of the openingand become; deposited on the portion of the shelf l; "inn'nediately infront ofthe" respecgitudinally'with one of the tables 10. Thetraysreadily may be inserted into-the slides 21 from the trucking aisle12, and as the material contained in the trays is'required by theoperatives, the. trays readily may be re moved by the operatives anddeposited on the'tables 10, thus providingforthe operatives acontinuing'supply ofthe product,and eliminating necessity fortheoperatives to leave the tables, pass to remote points to obtain newsupplies of" the product, and then return to the tables withsuclrs'upplies. 1 Each of the muss 10"also isprovided in the toptl1BI80f"Wltl1 an opening 22 from which extends an inclined pendent;discharge chute 23. The chute 23 and the opening 22 of eachtablereceives the refuse of the prod not being packed,which refuse isconveyed by the chute 23 to a collecting receptacle 24, suchas a box orsimilar receiver. The" dis charge point of the chute 23 preferably isdirected towards-therear otthe table, or

towards the'trucking'aisle 12, so'as to de posit the refusein'receptacles which may conveniently be collected bythe trucks passingup and down the aisle 12. This relieves the space occupied by theoperatives from congestion, and permits the filled recepta cles 24 to beremoved Without interfering with the operatives as they stand at thetables. H

In the use of the hereindescribed equipmentthe material to be packed andthe containers in which thematerial packed are continuously suppliedto'th'e operatives." A's ast asthe trays withthe product are re-' movedfrom the slides 21', additional trays ends of the chutes. tore, prov1dessuch an organization of the or the containers.

are introduced to the slides from the aisle 12. The-hoppers 14 also arelikewise continuously supplied with the containers, and

as thelatter are removed from the hoppers the containersgrayitatethrough the chutes 17 into the hoppers, the chutes in turnbeing replenished from the floor above by introduction of the containersinto the upper The equipment, theretableswitli respect to'the supply ofthe product to be packed and the containers for the same that theoperatives are not required to leave their stationsat the several tablesto procure trash. supplies either of the product Furthermore, with thetables arranged in' the form of units and "grouped in tiers','ec'onomyof floor area is obtained, so that the floor space of thepacking-roonr-may be utilized to'the' maximum extent, as well as tortheaccommodation of the maximum number 01" employees.

Obviously, the equipment'is capable of use for thepacking of tariousproducts, but, as above indicated, it 1s primarilyintended for thepacking of fish and similar commodities, in which industry it hasparticular advantages because of the chute 23 by which the refusereadily may be conveyed from the surface of the tables 10.

I claim 1. Packing house equipment, comprising a plurality of tablesarranged in spaced relation to and parallel with each other, supportingshelves connecting said tables at one oi their ends, avertically-disclosed chute arranged above each of said shelves forsupplying containers thereto for access to the Working space between thetables, and means a-rral'iged between said'chutes, whereby supplies ofthe product to be packed may be positioned at the respectivetables.

2. Packing house equipment, comprising a plurality of tables arranged inspaced rela tion to each other,supporting shelves arranged across theends of said tables, means located with respect to each of said shelvesfor supplying containers thereto for access to the working space'betweenthe tables, and aplurality of tray-supporting devices disposed" betweenthe container-supplying means, whereby to support a plurality of traysin alignment with the tables for access to the working space between thetables.

3. Packing house equipment, comprising a pluralityot' tables arranged inspaced relationto each other, supports arranged across the ends of saidtables, open-sided hoppers mounted on said supports and dischargingtowards the latter forsupplying containers to" the working space betweenthe tables, and meansdis'posed between said hoppers for positioning atthe respective table's supplies of the product to be packed. V

l. Packing house equipment, com arising a plurality of tables, arrangedin spaced relation to each other, supports arranged across the ends ofsaid tables, open-sided hoppers mounted on said supports for supplyingcontainers to the working space between the tables, and a plurality oftraysupporting devices associated with the hoppers, the tray-supportingdevices at the ends of contiguous hoppers cooperating for the support ofa plurality of trays in alignment with the table opposite to the spacebetween said contiguous hoppers.

5. Packing house equipment, comprising a plurality of tables arranged inspaced relation to each other, supports arranged across the ends of saidtables, hoppers mounted on said supports for supplying containers to theworking space between the tables, chutes connected to said hoppers forfeeding containers thereto, and means associated with the hoppers forpositioning at the respective tables supplies of the product to bepacked.

6. Packing house equipment, comprising a plurality of tables arranged inspaced relation to each other, supports arranged across the ends of saidtables, hoppers mounted on said supports -for supplying containers tothe working space between the tables, chutes connected to said hoppersfor feeding containers thereto, and a plurality of tray supportingdevices associated with the hoppers, the tray supporting devices at theends of contiguous hoppers co-operating for the support of a pluralityof trays in alignment with the table opposite to the space between saidcontiguous hoppers.

7 Packing house equipment, comprising a plurality of tables arranged inspaced relation to each other, supports arranged across the ends of saidtables, means located with respect to each of said supports forsupplying containers thereto for access to the working space between thetables, means disposed between said container-supplying means forpositioning at the respective tables supplies of the product to bepacked, and means associated with each table for conveying therefrom therefuse incidental to the packing operations.

8. Packing house equipment, comprising a plurality of parallel tablesarranged in spaced relation, supporting shelves arranged across saidtables at one of their ends, a hopper supported by each of said tablesand provided with an open side discharging towards the tables,avertically-disposed chute projecting upwardly from each of said hoppersand in communication therewith for supplying the hopper with containersfrom an elevated point, and means disposed between said hoppers andopposite said tables for positioning at the respective tables suppliesof the product to be packed.

9. Packing house equipment, comprising a plurality of parallel tablesarranged in spaced relation, supporting shelves arranged across saidtables at one of their ends, a hopper supported by each of said shelvesand provided with an open side discharging towards the tables, avertically-disposed chute projecting upwardly from each of said hoppersand in communication therewith for supplyingthe hoppers with containersfrom an elevated point, and a plurality of tray-' supporting devicesdisposed between the hoppers, the tray-supporting devices at the ends ofcontiguous hoppers co-operatinp; for the support of aplurality of traysin alignment with the table opposite to the space between saidcontiguous hoppers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

FRANK s. VARNEY;

